


Dreaming Away

by Phantom_Platonic



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Basically after the Knight and Hornet beat THK they end up in the Dream Realm anyway, Chaos Ensues, Dead Characters Show Up, Gen, Lots of New Areas!, Pure Vessel? More Like Pure Thembo, Radiance Is Awful, Sealed Siblings Ending (Hollow Knight), The Hollow Knight Is A Good Parent, The Pale King Has No Rights, but an au, very angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29067444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom_Platonic/pseuds/Phantom_Platonic
Summary: Hornet's never seen a place like this before. She doesn't know why she's here either, the last thing she could remember was trying to provide an opening for Ghost, but failing. With the vessel next to her, she had to understand what was going on. And, they had to get out of here one way or another.---Sealed Siblings AU where Hornet and Ghost get a second chance at finding the true source of the Radiance. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy, though.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 67





	1. Drifting Dreamers

A soft wind was rustling through the place when Hornet had first awakened. Maybe it was what had stirred her, but maybe not. She could feel a bit of pounding in her brain too, though not completely blind as to where it had come from. She could remember her plights from before, with one of the Vessels and the Hollow Knight. She was hit hard enough to be knocked out almost instantly, but after that, there was nothing. How had she gotten here? What had happened after such an event?

The first problem she could notice came from the absence of a sign of infection. Nothing here could even note that there was ever an infection to begin with. No shambling dead, no bubbles of orange. There was nothing there at all. Instead, she was in an area completely unfamiliar to her. Just a solemn walkway that didn't seem to lead anywhere, connected to some grassy areas and a forest to the left. There wasn't anything like this in Hallownest, especially due to it's status underground. She rarely saw the sky, so how could she have even made it here, especially since at first things seemed like she was alone. At least, until she took a moment to look.

The vessel was here too. The one that had been tasked with saving Hallownest. Maybe it had something to do with them, why they were here. And they had been awake past her own time, so they should at least know something. But there was one such problem with this, which was how the vessels couldn't speak at all. It would hold true for this one as well, especially since she had encountered them many times before, with not a sound being heard. But she would have to figure something out, now wouldn't she.

"Little ghost-" she began, having surprised them due to her previous silence. "Do you know what this place is? Or how we got here?" She stayed firm, but she couldn't help but have some nerves about everything. They were stuck in such an odd world, so how was she supposed to respond in such a time? Was there anything she could even do except for watching and waiting. She'd always been impatient, so maybe that wasn't the right choice either.

The vessel, on the other hand, seemed to be having some trouble figuring out how to convey such a thing to Hornet. Verbal communication was the fastest way, so everything else was often quite difficult, at least for people who could speak. But, noticing the ground on the other side of the platform, they realized that there was one thing that they could do. They had enough practice with drawings before, considering how they had to make such a long map across the whole of Hallownest. If they could do that, surely they could find a way through those drawings to communicate with Hornet. So, leading Hornet up, they began to draw something out.

The figure drawn was a sleeping bug, with a sort of symbol resembling the dreamgates, or the visions in the skies around them. It was something that Hornet needed some time to decipher, not completely understanding what's happening, but starting to get a picture. "Are you saying that we must be asleep somehow?" A nod came from the vessel. "Hmm... Alright- That makes enough sense at least. But do you know how we got here? Or how to get out?" With that, they shake their head. It was frustrating to Hornet, but they didn't know what they didn't know.

"Okay then, I guess we'll just have to find out then, won't we?" She groaned, but there wasn't much else she could do in protest. If this was the only way to get out of this place with their heads, then so be it. The dream realm would likely be a vast one though, if there was already so much onto the horizon. There was only one other thing that she could think to ask before they set off of course. "Do you have something you want to be called though. I'd rather not just keep calling you this if you don't like it-" Although she hadn't respected the vessel before, after their fight in the Kingdom's Edge she had grown a wish to treat them better than she had.

Only one thing was written in response, plain as day. GHOST. So, what she had been calling them before? The very same thing? "You're alright with me calling you that?" With a nod from the vessel she was at least relieved it didn't come as an offense or anything similar. "Good. Now, keep close to me. It's better to stick together if you don't know how to get back, right?" Of course, she couldn't help but have been worried about herself too. Ghost recognized this place, sure, but newer places were harder to deal with, especially without a map to speak of. She had never liked wandering aimlessly, especially without clues as to the origins of such a place. 

So then, out toward the woods they wandered, without a guide to speak of. Instead, they were greeted with a forest of sheer darkness, one that may scare the commonfolk. These two didn't seem so worried though. After all, Hallownest had places similar to this already, so a little darkness wasn't meant to phase them in the slightest. Instead, it was merely something a bit harder to navigate than before, with such twists and turns all around the place, except for something else. Lights that seemed to pulsate throughout the area, twinkling with a white light. It was something odd though when Ghost had finally gone out to touch one of them. It would seem to transport you, taking you into another part of the forest when grabbed. It had startled Hornet to see that her partner had just disappeared like that, so they wouldn't be doing all these things already.

But it was then that they had finally found a clearing in the middle of these woods. The light was so much easier to make things out around here, and it didn't seem like anything was watching them. They didn't notice anything that wasn't looking at them, but had still been in that area either, so instead they had taken the sight of this place as an opportunity to rest for a bit. And as Hornet had taken the chance to get some rest (it may be a dream, but Hornet was still getting exhausted), Ghost had decided to walk about the clearing, trying to see if there was something to do while they waited. Though, they weren't sure what to make of what they saw.

Beginning near the edge of it, they had noticed a strange looking structure that had seemed to be part of an overgrown tree at first with a strange on it but as they drew closer, they started to realize that limbs were growing out of such a thing, long spindly ones. As it was the dream world, there was no way that this could be a corpse, and as Ghost looked upon it more carefully, they realized that they recognized such a figure. They didn't know how it would get here, but that wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment. Instead, they were dashing toward Hornet with a bit of panic about them. She looked up right away, but couldn't quite understand the problem.

"Ghost, are you alright? You look frantic, what is it?" she asked, but the only thing it took was a point in that direction for her to make that realization and quickly move to guard. Now, not only was it something they both recognized, but now it was beginning to move upward, as if having been awakened from a large slumber. Long, lanky limbs made the figure that much taller, and Hornet kept Ghost behind her when finally addressing them. 

"Stand down, Hollow Knight, and state your purpose."


	2. Starlight in the Depths

It was quiet for a while between the three of them. Hornet was waiting for some sort of response from the Hollow Knight, Ghost was ready to fight as well, in case there was a brawl about to break out, similar to the one that had brought them here. But the larger knight themself didn't seem to understand what was going on. Bleary eyed, they looked just what they were, like they had just awoken. It seemed to take them a moment to realize that they were mildly being threatened here. Once they did realize it though, their hands were in the air, and something else could be recognized about them.

Unlike in the temple, their eyes were the solid black that a vessel's eyes were meant to be. But, no one here could be sure what that meant. The dream realm could be a place where the infection doesn't reach, or maybe when they had been taken down the infection had finally left them. But as Ghost and Hornet couldn't completely be sure, so they were still on guard in case the hulking being in front of them decided to attack. 

"You may have surrendered, but tell me what you're doing here now-" Hornet pressed, before finally realizing the problem with such declarations. Like Ghost, the Hollow Knight couldn't speak either. That would prove to be a problem, wouldn't it? Well, it would have if Ghost wasn't already pointing to the other knight's nail, as if trying to gesture that using such a tool would work. Although she wasn't completely sure how comfortable she was seeing them take it out, she could at least understand that writing was likely the best way to understand what was happening. Then again, that didn't mean the information presented was going to be all that useful to them anyway.

NAIL STABBED, DEAD?

At such words, the others at least knew what they were talking about, but that didn't seem to get the group any farther than they had been. "So you don't know how you got here either?" Hornet asked, soon being met with a nod. And how annoying it was, though she didn't take that out on anyone else. If they didn't know, they didn't know! Instead she had just sunk down for a moment in defeat. At least the vessels were trying her best to comfort her through this, so she was at least finding that to be better. 

But of course, after taking a moment to collect herself, she had already understood that they needed to continue if they had any chance of finding the secret to their appearance here. So, she rose soon enough, ushering for Ghost to move forward with everything so she could talk with Hollow directly, if only for a moment. "You may not have attacked us, but I'm still watching you... I'll take you down right away if you turn against us, got it?" Although she was attempting to be intimidating, that was only met with a pat on the head for Hornet. She wanted to argue with that, but she wasn't sure how much that would accomplished, so she began walking anyway, pouting about being treated like a child.

In those woods though, the two had finally entered, to which they couldn't find Ghost anywhere. Hornet could feel herself grow increasingly panicked at the sight of their disappearance. "Gh...Ghost? Ghost?! Where did you go?" Both her and Hollow were on the search now, since who knows what might have taken them in this terrifying darkness. She was supposed to be taking care of him too, and look what had happened? She was angry at herself, but there wasn't much she could do now except for search around.

The only difference that they could really note was that one of the sparkling lights that they had come across, one that could take you back to the beginning of the forest. Instead of it's faint white glow that she had remembered, instead she was met with a soft, yellow gleam to it. She couldn't completely tell what this meant, but she had to continue anyway. Hopefully enough, this wouldn't mean that they were gone forever.

\---

In this short time before Hornet had found Ghost to be gone, the small vessel had merely been playing around, waving their Dream Nail around like a toy since they knew they wouldn't hurt anyone with such a thing. There didn't seem to be anyone else around either, so what did it matter if they were just slashing something around like that. 

At first, they were trying to avoid the lights that stuck around them, since they didn't want to be teleported again. Sure, it didn't hurt, but it had left them disoriented to the point where they wouldn't want to experience it. But, soon enough they weren't really paying attention to the world around them. They would only have to stop once the others came back, then they should at least try to act serious. After all, this was a place unknown to the whole of them, even if they had seen the Dream Realm before. It never really looked like this, so maybe it meant something.

While they were lost in such thoughts, they had finally realized that they'd done something quite strange. Their Dream Nail had slashed through the light, and began to take Ghost somewhere. At first, they assumed they would be back at the entrance of the forest, and they would have to find their way back. That would be rather arduous, but that didn't seem to be the case when they finally looked around this new place. Well, it was more of a familiar place, now that they were looking at it.

It was a lush area, that seemed to be contained in a Greenhouse. It was soon enough that they realized where this light had lead them to. This was a place in the Queen's Gardens, with some infected Mantises patrolling the area to boot. Ghost was worried at first that they were going to be attacked, but they soon realized that something else was at the helm of it all. Because at first, they had just believed that they weren't being noticed, but when they attacked one of the Mantises, the nail went right through them, and the creature still didn't notice what was going on. And around them, they began to realize that the world around them looked greyed out. It was as if they weren't really a part of it.

And it was quite scary to think about, that they had ended up in this sort of limbo in the real world. How could such a thing even happen?

Amidst their nerves though, they finally noticed that there was something watching them, something that seemed to have noticed their presence in that meantime. But they didn't feel hostile, but instead curious about what Ghost was doing here. And soon enough, they found what it was, and such an answer shocked them. It was another vessel, but a small one at that. How would such a being make it around here? Had someone brought them here? Ghost wasn't sure, but knew they had to do something about it.

And so, they did... Approaching cautiously, they looked toward the toddling vessel, who seemed to perk at their sight. The small vessel was happy to have been noticed, as they just sort of pulsed their little sockets. But how could this one see them and no one else? They weren't sure, so at this point, there was only other way for them to ask. 

Taking out their nail, they began a sort of conversation in the ground, hoping this would work well enough for the both of them.


	3. Hidden Through Time

The meeting with such a small vessel went quite easily for Ghost, considering how trusting the small one had seemed already. Maybe that was something a bit worrisome though, since they were all alone. Someone so small should at least have someone to take care of them, but it seemed like no one was going to come and find them. So what could this possibly mean? Although they were getting to ask some questions, Ghost wasn't quite sure how to go about asking questions about such a topic. 

*Do you want me to call you something specific?* Ghost began.

Seeming to think on the subject for quite a bit, it was almost like the other hadn't even thought about it as much. Maybe that would make sense, seeing that they were the only person around up until now. **Yurei** was finally scrawled into the dirt, though it was quite difficult to read due to such a messy style of handwriting. Thankfully though, Ghost could get the message well enough. Reading the ruins of Hallownest made it a bit easier to read such things, so they wondered how anyone else would fare with such a child.

*So how did you get here? This place seems really hidden away.*

**The point! Magic people hide us, for dreams. Fuzzy people did that, so we don't die**

Now, that was something a bit more interesting. Yurei was put here on purpose? But for what reason? They were a vessel though, maybe that was why? In case others failed, maybe that child would be taken out of that hiding place to help save the world. Along with some others that they brought up, maybe they were other vessels? Maybe they were certain different creatures that were left behind. It was hard to say, really. But they felt a bit of an obligation, despite only meeting them a short bit ago. Most of their siblings were gone, so maybe this could be a chance they had to save at least a few of them.

*Where do the others hide?*

**Greenpath, Resting Grounds, Kingdom's Edge, the lights can take you there from the dreams. Do you need us?** Although that wasn't completely what Ghost was going for, it likely didn't matter if they hid the fact that they wanted to save Yurei. So, they merely nodded in response, to which the small vessel began hopping through certain platforms in the misty groves, to which Ghost had to follow. This led them both to a light that was quite similar to the one that had transported them, the one that was the key to these worlds. They could assume from here though that this would be the way out. As Yurei gestured them toward it, Ghost used their Dream Nail once again, and they were finally brought back to that forest, to be met with their concerned siblings.

"Ghost! Where have you been all this time? We were worried sick about you-" Hornet scolded, before realizing Yurei, who was attempting to look at the flowers in such an area. "And who is that over there? How did you find another vessel that quickly?" It was then that Ghost realized that they had a lot of explaining to do, especially as Hollow was looming over with similar worries seeming to plague them despite their lack of speech.

With a heaving nail, they soon got to work writing the whole thing out. Such long sentences with the nail were quite taxing, to which they wondered why there couldn't be some other way to communicate for a while. Well, maybe there was, and they just didn't know about it. But for now, they had to keep working with such a device in order to keep communicating.

*Other vessels in the lights cut with Dream Nail. I have to go find them." There was a look of surprise between the two who were listening, before Ghost was ushered to keep looking. Ghost was worried about if these two would get along with the smaller vessel without their presence. But as they began to disappear into the next area, Ghost could see a slightly happier Hornet as Yurei is giving her some flowers that they had found around the forest. And they realized then that everything was going to be fine between them all.

In the next realm, it was a bit harder to coax the vessel out of their hiding, as it took Ghost quite a bit of time to just find them, when they had been cowering in the undergrowth, looking rather unnerved by Ghost's presence. They couldn't even write their points at the moment, seeing that the vessel wouldn't even look. So, as a gesture, they dropped their nail in a form of surrender. Maybe if they didn't have a weapon, the hiding vessel would find a reason to hear out Ghost's side. 

Such an action seemed to confuse them, but they started stepping out of the brush with some hesitance attached. Ghost brightened slightly, instead now writing with one of their tendrils which seemed to put the other at ease without the threats of the nail. 

*Trying to help you. Do you want to leave this place?*

-Don't know... Outside is scary, don't like infection outside.- This one's writing was at least more legible, although their hands shake quite a bit. It seems that this was something they could feel despite their hollowness. It was why they must have been cast aside in favor of the other, Ghost could definitely understand that.

*In Dream Realm. No infection there I think* 

-But you don't know?-

*Don't. But we can help you.*

There's a surprise from that final writing that comes from the vessel here. Although they still have that hesitation, no one has ever really offered to protect them before. It's a nice feeling to have, although it finds itself muted in their mind. Being able to trust was something hard, but maybe it should be something they could do with someone who looked similar to them. They could find a similar trust with others like them too... So they nod at that, which relieves Ghost quite a bit. -My name. Shell.- They respond, at least comfortable enough to share that. 

*Let's go?* With such words, Shell began to lead Ghost in a similar way to Yurei from before. From then, everything went on similarly, and on toward the next area they went. Now that they could understand how each interaction could work, they were already fine with sending each vessel back to Hornet and Hollow alone. Although it took some reassurance from Ghost beforehand to get Shell to look toward the others without fear, soon enough they could continue without having to worry about Shell attempting to run away from the group, especially since Yurei was around to take care of their anxieties as well. 

The next area had seemed to be the Resting Grounds, which was a lot easier to go through than the previous encounter. Well, at least at first, where the vessel around had begun with just sticking around right where Ghost had found themself coming in. Finding them had become the easy part, but it was communicating that proved the most challenge between the group. 

The other vessel tried to talk by making a strange type of signals with their hands. It was an odd thing to witness really, and Ghost was extremely confused by it all. The vessel tilted their head as Ghost wrote something down again, although it was mildly harder without good soil to be writing in. Instead, the area in Resting Grounds was a lot tougher and sandier, but the point was brought across quite well. *What are you doing? That looks weird.*

It was then the other seemed to realize that Ghost didn't understand, and mimicked what they did with writing. {Don't know sign? Can teach you later. It's easier than making words every time.} It was then that Ghost had mildly felt foolish, considering how they wished someone had taught them how to make those signs. Although they weren't the only one, since Yurei and Shell had both had similar problems, both of them had seemed smaller. Poltie, on the other hand, was Ghost's size. If they learned to sign like that, would it make them like this cool kid? Wait, why were they thinking about this, they had work to be doing!

Instead, Ghost just nods as they keep on scribbling, with such ideas of learning to talk without writing now present left in their heads. *So, do you already know why I'm here then?*

{Yeah. I'd like to be able to help in whatever you're doing, definitely. I should probably warn you though, the others aren't quite as good about it}

*I sort of found out already. I almost had to drag one from a bush*

{Oh, it happens- But they're all good people, I promise. They all deserve to see this world, I just hope that they come around enough to help you out.}

*Do you want to see it too?*

{Of course I do... This place can't be all bad, can it? Even with the infection}

*Yeah... I've seen a lot of just Hallownest, and it's beautiful. I hope you guys like it just as much as I do. And what's your name? All of you seem to have one...*

{Poltie. The name's Poltie.} With that, the two were at least acquainted enough to leave the area, and just like their personality suggested, they were quite good about meeting the others, and was welcomed with open arms. The only thing Ghost had to think about while moving toward the next light was how this last Vessel was going to be. Despite Poltie's words of warning about the others being difficult, they hoped for the best. Though, they would soon learn that such hopes weren't going to be for the best.

Instead, they got a vessel that upon sight of Ghost, was already leaving toward the light without them. Ghost followed, but had no assurance on their ability to communicate. They didn't say anything back, not even signing in response. Once they were at the light though, in the middle of those ashy sands, Ghost refused to go out without talking about these things. So, they didn't take out the Dream Nail. They were going to sit down and talk with this vessel now.

*Why aren't you talking to me? I want to at least say something and get to know you before we work together.*

[Because I already know what it all is. You want to free us because the time is right or whatever. There's nothing to talk about.]

*But I at least want to know you... You're a sibling and I want to give you something better than this. A family, a life for yourself.*

[That doesn't matter.]

*It does to me*

Surprise is written on the vessel's face with such words, before scoffing. It's as though they didn't want to seem like someone who was having to much attachment toward Ghost. So they just turned around, but they were writing one more thing before doing all of this. [Wraith]. Ghost could assume that this was the vessel's name. Maybe it was something else to work with. A sort of olive branch. And Ghost was willing to accept it as they finally used their dream nail to go back for what seemed to be the final time.

But there was one more light that Ghost soon found, closer to the outside away from the others. Although they apparently had found all the vessels, their curiosity was beginning to get the better of them. So, they used their Dream Nail, with the hope that this would be worth their while. And sure, it might have been, but at the cost of ignorance toward something sinister lying at the depths of their mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OCs listed here do not all belong to me. While Shell is of my own creation, Yurei, Poltie, and Wraith have been made by Ultraaaa on this very site! Go check out her work too because she's like my best friend and I would kill a man for her. Thank you!
> 
> Also, as a note for writings, it'll go like this from now on.  
> Hollow = No Brackets  
> Ghost = 1 Asterisk  
> Yurei = 2 Asterisks  
> Shell = Dash  
> Poltie = Curly Bracket  
> Wraith = Square Bracket


	4. Radiant Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A TW here for themes surrounding behaviors that resemble panic/anxiety attacks. It will not be too deeply discussed, but I want to be able to warn you in case you are sensitive to these themes. Cheers and stay safe!

The room Ghost appeared in next was something that they recognized immediately. This was the Black Egg Temple, the last place that they remembered being before they ended up in the Dream Realm with Hornet. Of course they hadn't seen what happened after the fight, everything being so hazy following Hornet's collapse. The landscape itself had seemed the same as before, which left the vessel mildly concerned. But there were a few differences that made things even worse in their mind. 

Two bodies lay on the ground at their feet, though in trying to touch them their appendages just phased right through. It reminded them of how they were truly outside of the physical world. But who was below them was truly a problem, because Ghost themself wasn't one of them. They saw Hornet, who hadn't changed much since they saw her last. But then there was Hollow on the other side of that room, who Ghost had just now noticed had slightly larger cracks around their face than when the two had battled. Had Ghost really damaged them that badly? Maybe they should apologize once they find their way back.

But the question of where Ghost's body lay in all of this was answered once they had finally taken a look upwards instead of at the floor. And there they were, their body hanging in the air and suspended in chains the same way Hollow had been before. While looking at it, they had started to think about what could have happened. This binding meant that they now had infection squirming around inside of them. But what did that really mean? They didn't feel like they were infected, instead they just felt like they were asleep and waiting about for something to awaken them. Right now, they just wanted answers for all the horrors before their eyes. But instead, they were sure that nothing good would come of these responses. As it turned out, they were right.

Suddenly, there was the sound of laughter that they could hear, unsure of where it was coming from, or what it meant. At first, it felt as though the noise came from all directions before they started to realize the truth. This was coming from one place, and that was their own projection of dreams. Something was inside their head... Was this the infection at work? They felt short of breath, unable to focus on a thing besides how they could get this noise out of them. But nothing seemed to work, and instead the laughter morphed into something else that began nagging at them.

 _"So, have you finally realized the truth?"_ The jovial voice replied, jolting Ghost into a place of attention. What were they supposed to do here? They couldn't talk out loud, but they had the thoughts to communicate with this beast. If this was inside their own head it should be easy, after all. But they knew that they didn't want to give this voice inside their shell the benefit of hearing them squirm, so they tried not to think about anything at all. That didn't seem to work for their headmate now, who seemed to grow mildly annoyed at their silence. _"You know, it's impolite to ignore me. You were the one who had so foolishly absorbed my power, this is just a bit of a side effect of that, vessel."_

What?

Ghost hadn't begun to realize the ramifications of this infection until now. But now things were beginning to come together. Why the infected so easily attacked, and could become so strong so easily. Because this infection wasn't something that just corrupted the mind into an unhealthy state. No, the people who were infected were being coerced. That was why the vessel for this infection could have no will, why Ghost and so many others had been discarded before. Because it preyed on who you were as a person. Anything you wanted and wished for, this infection could take hold of. And the only way it could know these things had to be due to a sentience. That's why it had been so hard to make things perfect... Because so many had at least one thing that they would give anything for. 

_"Quite interesting that it took you this long, vessel..."_ the voice laughed. _"Since you've gotten so smart, small one, I'll tell you one thing. I am the Radiance, and what you called the infection was brought by my light... And soon, you as well will fall."_ Such things made the vessel bubble with some anger, to the point where they realized they needed to cool down and try not to think about the Radiance. With this calming them down, they could feel that burning pressure from the Old Light. To do keep speaking, succumb, do anything else at all! But they wouldn't let it happen. No matter what she tried to do, in the world they continued in of dreams they couldn't really have an effect, right? The infection couldn't reach the realm of the dreaming and the dead... It would soon be learned though that they were wrong there as well, but they wouldn't be revealed to it yet.

 _"Fine then, you may bide your time, vessel..."_ Her words stung like acid, but they had to pretend. If not, then who knew what she could unlock about them? But that wasn't all she said before finally leaving them to return to the others. _"But be warned... I can strike in more areas than you know. I have plagued the dreams of this kind for centuries, where you won't be the first to have ever seen it. You will fall, and I have my ways of making that happen, small one-"_ With a final chuckle that brought a chill through Ghost's shade, they felt like they were alone once again. But they realized that since she could talk through their head, they would never really be alone. Would they never be able to think? Would they even be able to warn the others about what they saw? Would she find out how to do something to them too? Ghost didn't want that to happen... But what could they do from here? At this point, there was only one thing left for them to do. 

It took them a moment of isolated thought before they could find it in themself to move again. Shaky steps seemed to pass through the door to the chamber until they found that same light, the one that could take them back to this strange world of dreams. They weren't entirely sure what to expect when they got back, but with a heavy breath they finally struck their dream nail for the final time for quite a while, and returned to the edge of the forest, where their group seemed to have been waiting for them, with Hornet ready rather quick to continue. 

"Where were you THIS time? You already found everyone, and this can't have been some accident. You can't just disappear without a word!" she huffed, and even with the known concern Ghost didn't feel right doing anything right now. The fact that they were safe felt so strange now, at least after the conversation they already found. They wanted to speak on what they knew now, but they were too focused on what the Radiance might do, who she might target. They just wanted to save everyone, but now that might not be possible? 

Such things built up and up, and the only thing that finally made that known to everyone else became the shaking of their form that made a bit of noise. It was then that Hornet's approach went from aggressive to kinder. She wasn't sure herself what had happened, but if something had rattled them that much? She knew that it would be better to coax them out of them once they had the chance to calm down. So, she had taken one of their hands in her's, looking at them with an expression that she had remembered her mother had used to stop her from crying when she was small. "It's alright, Ghost... Whatever you saw in there isn't there anymore... We'll take care of you, okay?"

The others seemed to try and help as well, all going around and giving them a little bit of contact. There were a lot of people around them, but Ghost didn't mind either. They would be safe in numbers, and that was a bit of a comfort to the void being too. Such touches felt nice, and while no one else but Hornet could voice their sentiments, they could tell that it was there. They could feel themself start to drip their void with a slightness to it. Although it was a strange sight, those were tears to the vessel. But they were mixed with a relief to them.

And even after that, the group didn't continue. Instead, they had set up a camp for everyone to take a rest. It had been a long day, especially for Ghost. And they were glad not to be alone, even if such a space wasn't completely comfortable with seven beings having to share the clearing. But after all, they made it work, some of the little ones even sticking close to Hollow and Hornet. And such a closeness made them less worried for the future. Even with the Radiance festering around in their mind, they wanted to protect this sense of peace and calm. They would do anything for it now, even if they weren't sure how yet.


	5. The Woodworker's Village

It wasn't long before everyone had either awoken, even though people didn't really know how sleeping could truly work in such a realm, or they had seemed fine enough with getting on the move once again. They had to figure out how to leave these woods first, since there had to be somewhere to get leads around this realm. They didn't have to look far though, finding that a few lights that were more indicative of buildings than something standalone. Making their way forward, they found something a lot more relieving than they would like to admit. 

It was a small village with a few creatures that didn't even seem to be bothered with the infection. Instead, they lived a normal life, or at least a normal afterlife. This was all Hornet at least could have wanted for the people who had died back in Hallownest, to be able to live freely without the Radiance. There were some she could recognize, though not by name. That wasn't just with her though, Hollow and Ghost both seemed to be happy with such a sight. But no matter what, they had to get into business. With a bit of communication between the group, they had all decided to split up to cover more ground. 

Somehow, Yurei had found themself away from the group rather quickly, finding a place that they found quite warm and inviting. There was raucous laughter coming from the inside of the building, with sounds of glass clinking as they began to approach. The people around seemed to be in a good enough mood, maybe it would be a good idea to try and get some information out of them. So inside they went, not even noticed by most of the others in that building right away.

Although Yurei didn't quite understand that due to their limited knowledge, they had stepped into a pub. Thankfully though, no one seemed to be doing anything violent or hurtful toward each other, instead everyone seemed to be having quite the good time as they sat around. Some were telling stories, and others seemed to be crafting things in a mildly heated bout of competition. Of course, that wasn't what Yurei's attention was the most sated on, because there was one person in the middle of it all. It was a petite looking woman, who seemed to be looking at everything with a slight bit of amusement. It was something normal, but her actions weren't the complexity they felt. No, it was as if they had seen her before, but couldn't quite place it as to where or how.

But things seemed fine enough here, so the small vessel had made the decision to toddle up to the woman, to which was met by a bit of surprise. "Oh, I didn't expect I'd see one of you here, hm-" she replied, as Yurei began to scale the bar stool next to the lady. Although she had found it rather unsafe for someone of that size, with a bit of adjusting things, she made it seem well enough for the small one. Though, she continued with her nerves in seeing Yurei move around with vigor and excitement, even if she tried to play it off. "You're quite active, are you? Now be careful, you don't want to fall- Maybe something to drink will calm your nerves?" Yurei agreed, to which she was ordered a glass of apple juice that they were soon enough sipping on, calming the woman's nerves.

"Good good, now... My name is Isma, it's very nice to meet you, dear..." she replied, to which Yurei quickly remembered the sound of that name. One of the five great knights was here, maybe she would have a lead in the situation! But they didn't want to mess up anyone else's work, since a lot of the people here seemed to be ones that took great pride in the things that they made. So, what were they supposed to do? Without any other ideas, they were merely kicking their legs about, sipping on their juice again. Isma, though, continued to speak for a bit. "Is there anyone else out there waiting for you?"

As if it were caused by those words themselves, Wraith had come through, a bit worse for the wear. Yurei was a bit startled by such a sight, but wasn't nearly as fast as Isma in getting toward them. "You must be with the small one... Are you alright?"

[Don't worry, I'm fine- I just fell over a little bit ago.] Wraith signed, though they seemed embarrassed about it. Yurei assumed from here that they had gotten into a different form of trouble, one that was less perilous and more comedic. But from here, they just stuck to their bar stool, but they knew they'd be making a smug little face if they could make such movements with their shell. But even so, Wraith continued. [I was coming to get Yurei though, are you alright if I take them?]

"So that's their name then, right? That's absolutely fine, especially since you must have come a long way..." she replied, Yurei having finally finished their juice and going to join their sibling on the ground. 

[Thank you then, sorry for all the trouble.]

"Not at all, they were wonderful company, and it's good that they have people to look out for them. I hadn't realized before how many of you had escaped from the abyss but well... I'm glad you did. I wish I could have seen you before I had left the world of the living."

[It's alright, miss. But, you seem like you know a lot about things here. Do you know where this is?]

"Well- Maybe if you wanted so many questions before you left, we could just take a seat-" With that, Isma sat down at one of the unoccupied tables near the corner of the bar, as Yurei and Wrath followed her soon enough. "For starters though, this is a place called the Woodwork Village. Lots of types with a closeness to plants find themselves living here, where others like using the products we make here. But it's main purpose is as a resting grounds between the woods and the palace gates."

[Palace?]

"Yes, within the realm of dreams. Someone had laid claim to it, trying to take control of others, but it never truly worked out for them," she laughed, though seeming to grow serious soon enough. "Though, if I were you I would want to pay some mind to the one in question- I would like you'd have a lot to say to them, no?"

Yurei and Wraith share a look between each other and nod. [Thanks for all of that- I think that'll help us a lot-]

"Really? Well, I'm glad. Send whoever's with you my regards-" she finally replies, keeping her seat as the vessels had left the area, beginning to find the rest of their little group. Thankfully, it didn't take them long before seeking them out and amassing them together. At least now that they had a lead, they wouldn't have to just wander aimlessly around the forests and such. Although Hornet still seemed to be fuming because of something that had happened without Yurei's knowledge, everyone seemed ready to discuss.

[Well, first of all Isma says hi-] Wraith began, which made Hollow get a little bit excited, and Hornet to start coughing a bit from the surprise of it all. 

"You saw Isma?" Hornet asked. "Did she give you something to work with?"

[Yeah, apparently there's this crazy person at a nearby palace, someone that we might know. It's between the woods and this village, so it shouldn't take us too long to get there-]

{I think we should go there! Maybe it'll give us clues on the infection.} Poltie added. Everyone seemed to be in agreement, although Hornet seemed apprehensive for one fateful reason. She wouldn't share it though, not right now. She would likely have wanted to see this person for herself anyway, knowing who it could likely be without too much thought to put inside it. As the others began going toward the woods once more, Hollow stayed behind and urged Hornet to stay with them. Although she wasn't sure what they meant by all this, she went along.

"Do you need something?" she asked, as they were scribbling away at the soil below, to which Hornet then waited it out until they had finished.

THINK IT'S FATHER?

"Maybe... I'm not sure how much I'm willing to find out though."

WHY NOT?

"Because... He's done all this terrible stuff in the past, and it sort of feels like he's trying to do the same thing around here- And it scares me I guess- He's been gone for a long time, and I'm not ready to confront how I feel about him right now."

FAIR. I AM HERE.

Hornet cracked a mildly softer look toward them, nodding. "Thanks... Now, we should probably make sure that the others aren't in any danger out there." As such, the two began to move the same way the others already had, without knowing the true face of what they were meant to see outside of the woods.


	6. Side: The Joys of Language

As Yurei seemed to move toward the pub, there was another source of action happening with the some of the vessels. Between Poltie, Ghost, and Wraith, the three of them didn't seem so adamant in trying to find a lead. This village was safe enough after all, they could stay around for a while, even if something alarming had happened before. And keeping Ghost's mind off the Radiance was something much better for them. So, as they could watch the others on their own little missions, Ghost finally found it in themself to ask about the signs that Poltie had been able to make from before.

*Those things do with your hands- Can you teach them to me?* There's surprise from both Poltie and Wraith as they see such a thing on the ground. The likely wouldn't have a lot of time to be playing with these things, but it seemed like something that could help Ghost from their nervous state. Along with that, it would be nice to teach someone else what they knew, especially someone with a similar situation as their own. So it was soon enough that they both nodded amongst themselves. 

And so, the day started with quite easy signals that they had made. Words for Hello, Goodbye, Thank You, and other words that might help them form a conversation. Ghost seemed to absorb it like a sponge. Learning quicker than either of the two would have thought. But among it all, Wraith seemed to be getting a mischievous idea, one that they knew they would have to hide from Poltie. Because of this after a bit of the teaching, Wraith started to herd Ghost toward a part closer to the trees while Poltie wasn't paying as much attention. And with that, they could make the fun begin.

[Hey Ghost, I've got a really great sign for you to try, it means I Love You!] they wrote, with Ghost looking upon it with interest. And as it happened, Wraith finally showed off the alleged sign. Of course, the symbol had been to stick their middle-most finger out without anything else aligned. But it looked so easy at least, so Ghost looked happy enough to keep trying that out. There, the plan had really gone into motion. [You should show that off to Hornet! I'm sure she'd like seeing that.] Ghost nods with an excitement to them. After all, Hornet deserved to know that she was loved. So, it was then that they went off to find their sister, with Wraith rattling in amusement as they watched.

Though, Wraith should have known that this was bound to backfire on them, knowing how well those two had already known each other. 

When Ghost had come over, they had quickly enough made that symbol, and Hornet had seemed completely mortified. She didn't do anything to Ghost though, realizing that they didn't seem to be doing anything out of malice. They just looked excited, with a little bit of disappointment in her reaction to everything. So she realized something was going on behind the scenes for everything. It was them that she likely had her quarrels with. "Ghost... Could you please tell me who taught you that?" Immediately, Wraith was pointed to in the distance. With that, they had realized something was going wrong. 

The chase was on. Quickly, Hornet was gunning straight for them, and Wraith was running away as quickly as their smaller legs could carry them. But of course, Hornet knew how to chase down prey when it was needed, so Wraith's more sedentary lifestyle stood no chance against her. Quickly, they were caught and smacked with her needle a little bit, which had caused some cracking in their shell. Not enough to be harmful though, especially in a dream such as this one. And anyway, it was likely that they would heal it back all the same. 

That had caused the rest of the group, aside from Yurei, to see just what had happened. While Hollow and Shell still found confusion in the whole charade, Poltie had looked rather disappointed in Wraith's actions, with an idea of what had happened. But they laid off, letting Hornet do all the scolding that was needed there. "How dare you teach them something so vulgar!" she exclaimed, even if Wraith seemed mildly flippant about the whole thing. They didn't respond to it all, knowing how that would just make her angrier for right now. And now, even Ghost seemed ashamed that they had fallen for such a silly trick. 

Soon enough though, her rage had died for a bit, to which she could take a headcount of everyone that was present. It didn't take her long to notice that Yurei was still missing, which gave her an idea for another, less violent punishment for them. "Alright then, go get Yurei-" she sighed. "And don't heal before you go in there, they've got to know that something happened too." With a bit of annoyance they left to go look, with Hornet just seeming so tired from the ordeal after having dealt with it all. Even while miffed, she still had so much more to be thinking about.

Though, at the very least, Ghost had gone over for a moment to talk with Poltie, with something a bit more kind on their mind. With one more sign having been taught for the day, Ghost quickly went back to Hornet and showed it off. For real this time, they had finally said I love you, which had at least gotten the girl's attention. With a softness to her, she picked up the vessel, looking at least a bit happier now. "Thanks, little ghost... At least I don't have to worry about you that much..." she replied, as Ghost finally sat with her, waiting for something else to be done. Such a language lesson would be enough for a little while, won't it. 

But Wraith, as they continued around, just seemed to be confused as Yurei wasn't showing up anywhere. With something so strange going on, Wraith had finally swung toward the pub, with the hope that such an adult place wouldn't hold the smallest of them. But even more so, they had seen what they've done before. With the naivete that they sported, they hoped that Yurei didn't anger any of the native spirits. Then how would they get anything done? And what would happen to their sibling? Either way, it was at least a nice surprise to know that they were being well taken care of when Wraith finally found them with the Knight of the Grove.

Because despite their demeanor toward the others, seeing them hurt would make them feel that guilt all the same.


	7. The King's Affliction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real to be honest? Thank you all for the nice comments, it makes me really happy to keep writing and such! Sorry I'm not good at responding for the most part though, I get a little nervous about talking to people- But just know that what everyone says makes me SO happy!

What they had seen soon enough, after clearing through the brambles of the forest, was a beautiful garden that seemed to be overgrowing around an ornate palace. Thankfully though, it seemed small enough that one could find anything they would need to rather quickly. Despite this, no one could know what it may look like on the inside. Looks could be deceiving in a world of dreams. But there was something else to be noted, as they weren't quite alone. Instead, there was something flying through the area. This time, there was only one vessel who could recognize them, that being Ghost.

It was Marmu, who had seemed to finally get her wish to fly. With wings to boot, she had been circling the gardens with a familiar excitement to her. Ghost waved up toward the caterpillar before she'd finally noticed this, and came down to greet the group of them. "You're the friend from before!" she exclaimed. "Are these all of your friends?" A nod came, as Marmu began sharing quite a bit of information with Ghost, even though they couldn't really respond. 

Although there wasn't much going on already, Hornet had begun to think about what could happen within the castle once again. Would it just be a conversation, or did they have something to worry about? She wanted to know that answer right away, but there wasn't even a way to know who was waiting for them all. But, as she listened to Ghost's friend prattle on, she began to realize something that could save them if it would be necessary. With something moving around in her head, she finally butted in toward that one sided conversation. 

"Hello, we're all friends of your friend, and I was wondering how far you could fly," Hornet asked, an interest showing forth.

"Oh! I can go really far! I like to stay here, but I can go to this nice desert place sometimes too!"

"Very nice... Well, then I hoped to ask if you would be able to fly us somewhere in a little bit, rather quickly as well."

Marmu seemed to scan around the group of them before finally coming up with a response. "I think I could do that, miss stranger!"

Hornet nodded, at least relaxing a little bit now that the group had more of a plan than winging it. The others seemed to notice that and looked to her, while she had just seemed like a deer in headlights. It wasn't as easy for her to move from that as she would've wished, but either way she continued. "Well, let's get a move on then. The longer we wait, the longer we'll be stuck here-" With such a proclamation, everyone soon followed the spider into the lion's den.

There wasn't much walking that they had to do in order to reach something that appeared to be a throne room door. Such a large, ornate thing seemed more and more familiar as Hornet stared at it, but not in a good way. But she wouldn't let that show as she opened the door, especially once she'd seen who had been found behind it. 

The others grew tense as they finally saw him, the father who had never really been a father to them. Hornet, who had everything taken from her with his actions. Hollow, who had to push their emotions so far down because of this man's orders, in order to appear perfect. And all the others, who had been discarded without a second thought despite the feelings that they exhibited. The Pale King sat before them all, and he looked less than pleased to have seen them all. 

"Apparitions, plague me no longer-" he seethed, his eyes narrowing at the very sight of this group. "I wish not to be in the presence of mistakes such as you, real or not." At such words, there was a visible wince from Hollow, as Hornet stepped forward to speak for the lot of them. Even with Wraith's wide gestures, he didn't seem to respond to them. It seemed that she would have to act as the voice that the king couldn't ignore. 

"We are real, and you cannot discard what you have done, wyrm," she replied, spitting her words like venom. "You abandoned a kingdom that needed you, and you stood aside while so many suffered. You cannot just hide and ignore your transgressions. We have many things to say to you." 

Before she could continue, he walked right up to her face, staring her down. "You have no right to speak to me in such a way, child. I may not live now, but I am still your king, the higher being that ruled over and cared for Hallownest. I may not have saved that broken kingdom, but I'm sure it wasn't my fault. Everything else had been against me in those moments!" He seethed with a rage that Hornet had never seen in him before. Usually, how he expressed it came from a soft annoyance. He wasn't one who showed this much emotion, and she had known that. Had death really changed him so much?

She stepped back, showing off his eyes to the rest of them with something Ghost had finally noticed. An orange light was finally shown in the King's eyes, and it was the very color that defined the Radiance beforehand. Ghost quickly flailed to alert the rest, and this caused Hornet to back away from the man with fear. "You let the infection consume you?! Even here?"

"It was the only way to have made me stronger... Strong enough to truly rule... Maybe then, it will even make me strong enough to erase my mistakes from this world, once and for all." 

It was then that nails began to be conjured in front, not even in the sense of a spar. He looked ready to use them to their full extent, and everyone could quickly get a grasp as to what that had meant. Without a second thought, Hornet's gut response was to turn tail and get away from there as fast as she could, and she didn't even have to tell the others about it before they followed suit. But of course, the smallest two had been quickly grabbed up, Hornet having placed Yurei on her back as she ran through and Hollow having taken Shell up into their hands. 

The King was on their heels, but Ghost could hear something else in the same vein as before. Would they have to hear the Radiance's taunts in their dreams as well? They wanted to stop, take this all in stride, but there wasn't much that they could do without being skewered by the nails he had swirling around him. So they did both, running and listening to whatever they didn't want to hear. They weren't sure if this was even the best idea, but it seemed they didn't have a choice. 

_"You must have forgotten, little one. My power lies in dreams... I may not be able to find the dreams of the living, but the dead and perpetually dreaming are much easier targets,"_ she laughed, with Ghost quickly feeling that anger bubble up inside of them. They wanted to hurt her, but they couldn't do it without their physical bodies being in the same place. _"You will have to yield to me eventually. But until then, this is only the beginning..."_

They broadcast the thought they had, one of anger, that they weren't going to stop fighting. She could only laugh at them with such an idea. _"It's no matter what you wish to say to me now. I'll find something that would break you, I'm certain of it."_ And with such words, she had left them to their anger as they finally saw the gardens once again, with Marmu having waited for the group.

"What happened? Do you need that thing you talked about?" she asked, with Ghost only giving a short nod in response as everyone began to pile on one by one without knowledge as to where they king may have been. Thankfully, the caterpillar was quick to start her ascent into the air, where even the Pale King trying as hard as he could with his wings wouldn't be able to keep up with the group. Although Marmu kept trying to ask throughout the ride, most of them hadn't wanted to talk, instead finding it quite hard to entertain anything besides the thoughts about their father and the infection plaguing him now.

But there was one of them who seemed to be the most affected by it all. Shell, the one who had been petrified of even meeting the other vessels. After having been set down by Hollow onto Marmu's back, they had just curled in on themself, shaking quite a bit due to everything going on. And it was Hollow who seemed to be watching them do this, feeling a sympathy toward them. Quite often, they weren't even able to express their fear, but they had so desperately wished to find that comfort in others. But although they weren't quite sure how long the flight would be, or where they were going, it should be a good opportunity to try and make them feel better, right?


	8. The Shadow and the Shell

With neither being having the gift of speech, Hollow could already know that there would be some sort of difficulty trying to explain what they were doing. And especially with that, they weren't sure how exactly they would speak on anything. And there wasn't anything to write on, so that would be out, except for the fact that they had finally realized something else. They had looked to Hornet for all this, to which she was merely confused. "Is something wrong?" she asked. They pointed to her needle, even if that wouldn't get all of the point across. 

"My needle? What about it?" They then made a sort of line with their hands, doing this a few times until Hornet could finally understand the point with a blink. "You want some thread then?" A vigorous nod. "Alright... I'm not sure what you need with this, but okay-" After she handed them a long amount of string to work with, they were soon to cut it up enough that each bit would be able to form a letter. It was like writing, but instead of ingraining it somewhere, they could just form the letters and change them once it was needed. And once they had a message written out, they gave Shell a tap on the shoulder. Despite their flinching at the feeling, the small vessel soon looked over the words below, and could figure this would be good enough to communicate with. Even if Shell wasn't sure what to even say, it would be impolite not to try, yes?

YOU OKAY?

-Don't know. Things are scary out there. I should have never left.-

DON'T SAY THAT. YOU ARE DOING WELL.

-It doesn't feel like it. Not much of an adventurer.-

Even with a hollowed out expression, Hollow could tell how badly Shell felt about all this. And it was hard not to, when you're dragged into something you barely understand. They remember feeling a lot of the same in their own past. Of being a weak link due to the very thoughts and emotions that had become them. There was difficulty to living in such a way, and Hollow knew that for sure. The problem came in the fact that they weren't even sure how they had stopped thinking like that. Sometimes, they still did at any rate. But they had to think, such unhappiness wouldn't do the group as a whole any good either. But then, there was the reason why they had come here coming back to their mind. They wanted to comfort them with something that could transcend words. Something Hollow had wanted for a long time in their youth.

Not only consolation, but affirmation. Knowing that they weren't truly alone as it had seemed. That came in the form of one more little phrase in the thread. 

WE CAN HELP. YOU'RE SCARED, BUT WE'RE HERE.

Reading that caused Shell to look quite a bit surprised. They had seen that from Ghost before, but that was before they knew what was going to happen in this realm. And they had talked with others, but they hadn't understood that they truly wanted them around. It was strange to see that from someone, especially after being around the same few people for such a long time. But those words helped. And for the second time, they truly felt genuine. There was something inside them that truly believed such sweet words this time around. But even with all that, Shell had to know for sure. 

-Do you really mean it? I don't even know what I can do to help back...-

YOU DON'T HAVE TO RETURN HELP. GIVING YOU A NEW LIFE IS WHAT MATTERS, TO ME ANYWAY.

That had sealed the deal. It wasn't just about taking care of the Radiance like it would've been before. The vessels had feelings as well, didn't they? And even if Hollow themself was a vessel as well, the sentiment was nice to have thought about. Because of this, maybe Shell could learn to see that from some of the others as well. Even if things had changed through it all, they could learn to live with that fear. There were other people helping along the way, and Shell could work through that if they had the chance now.

But it wasn't a response in words that came from Shell afterwards. Instead, they were sort of reaching their arms out, starting to feel that comfort with touching as long as they knew that it would happen. Hollow hesitated for a moment, unsure about everything, but soon enough they had taken Shell into a bit of a hug, to which the small one seemed a bit happier for. It was this that Hollow had to realize that they wouldn't have them let go any time soon. But that would be alright, considering everything. It's not like they had anything else to carry, with even their nail with a strap on their back. 

Once the group had landed in this next area, there were things that made the place feel a lot safer. It was a bright place, away from the darkness of the forests, even if the sun was beaming down rather harshly. "This is the Shimmering Deserts. It's a really nice place to fly because it's always sunny! There's also nice people who live here, even though they look kind of sad sometimes. I think you'd like them! And there's a lot of stuff to buy too-"

They gestured toward a fort in the distance, although there wasn't much else around this long area. Maybe it would be nicer to have gone inside, but Ghost seemed to be going their own way, without anyone else having seen them move. But it was Ghost, quite often they were able to move around so quietly and take care of themself. If there was anyone to be worried about, it didn't seem as though Ghost would be that person, at least for most of them. The rest, however, had come toward that large fort which was a lot cooler than everything else in this place. Despite it all, it seemed like Hornet was the one who was the most relieved in the darkness.

In this area now, there was first just a congregation area where a good amount of figures had gathered, and again there was an area full of shops and others things. Thankfully, the group was just starting to look around on their own, to which Shell had found something that they wanted to do before getting into research. Although there was a lot of one race that they weren't sure how to react to (moths, maybe this was a village made for moths?), Shell had one thing in mind for everything else. And one of the shops was finally selling what they wanted. Some parchment and a quill. All of this was something that Shell had wanted for such a long time.

Back before they were into this party, in the older Greenpath they had often drawn in the dirt for fun. Doing things with their hands made them happy, especially when the pictures were something that they were proud of. They also wished that they could document their own thoughts, even if it felt strange to them before. They weren't supposed to think, but they had so much going on in their head. They wondered why their father had such an oversight, but that didn't matter. With the purchase having been made with the mere amounts of Geo that they'd been able to take when they were taken to the dream realm, they were already ready to write something down.

-01  
Today a lot of things happened, but I think one of the people with me has made me feel better about them...-


End file.
